Neuigkeiten » n the two organisations.It peaked

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- George Brett took over as the Kansas City Royals interim hitting coach with the rudderless team mired in an eight-game skid. He leaves with them showing signs of life. The Hall of Famer announced Thursday that he was stepping down from his on-field job and returning to the Royals front office, where hes served as vice-president of baseball operations since retiring as a player following the 1993 season. "Its been a tremendous experience for me to put on the uniform again after 20 years away," Brett said during a brief news conference, breaking down for a few seconds. "It was special." Brett has helped out at spring training for years as a volunteer coach, but his stint as the interim hitting coach was the first time hed worn his No. 5 jersey for games that counted since the last out of his last game as one of the games greatest third basemen. Brett said that hell still be around for some home games. He may even throw batting practice on occasion, but he wont be in uniform once games starts, instead sitting in a suite with general manager Dayton Moore as the Royals try to play their way into contention. "When I took this job almost two months ago, Dayton and I talked about it on an interim basis. I didnt know what interim was," Brett said. "I just thought it was time for me to move on. I felt it was time for me to resign as the hitting coach. It was a tough decision." The Royals were hitting just .261 when he assumed the job along with Pedro Grifol, who will stay on as the permanent hitting coach. The team was averaging four runs a game and ranked near the bottom of the American League in just about every statistical offensive category. They were 21-29 and in danger of falling out of contention by June. Well, the teams batting average hasnt improved much, but the offence is no longer stagnant. Young cornerstones such as Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas have started to hit -- Hosmer cracked a pair of homers in Wednesday nights win over Baltimore -- and theres a sense that the Royals could still make a move toward its first playoff berth since 1985 down the stretch. With the July 31 trade deadline approaching, they were 47-51 and eight games behind Detroit in the AL Central heading into Thursday nights series finale against the Orioles. "George is a tremendous asset to our organization. To have him here for two months was fun," said Royals manager Ned Yost, who along with Moore had unsuccessfully tried to lure Brett into coaching several times before finally succeeding on an interim basis. "We respect his decision." Brett took to his job with relish after agreeing to a monthlong tryout that ultimately lasted about eight weeks. He would arrive at the ballpark early and was easy to spot in the cages before games, overseeing early batting practice with the younger players. He said at the time of his hiring May 30 that he always found the game easier to do than say -- that is, he found it natural to play and difficult to instruct. That never did change. "I found out I was a better player, a better hitter, in my opinion, than a teacher," he admitted. "I was not a good mechanical hitting coach." Brett said he has played several rounds of golf with Fred Couples over the years, yet the former Masters champion never gave him any tips. Not long ago, Brett asked him why. "He told me, George, I know my swing, but I dont know yours," Brett said. But the guys in the clubhouse -- many of whom werent even born when Brett was having some of his finest seasons -- universally praised him for the job hed done, particularly with the mental side, where he helped an uptight bunch of Royals start playing like they were kids again. "At the end of the day it stinks hes leaving," Hosmer said, "but the good thing is hell still around for home games. Im disappointed. Were going to miss him in the dugout. Hes expressed to us about hes a phone call away." While Brett was fixing the mental part of the Royals, Grifol was doing the behind-the-scenes work on players mechanics, poring over video and tinkering with their swings. The 43-year-old began his first season with the Royals as the hitting coach of the Surprise Royals. Before that, he was a manager for Class A High Desert in the Seattle organization, and had worked as an area scout, manager and minor league director over the past 13 seasons. Now, Grifol has the chance to make a name for himself as the hitting coach. "I have all the confidence in the world in Pedro. Pedro is a very knowledgeable guy," Brett said. "He has drills I had never seen. He made my job easier. I learned a ton about hitting from this man. It was a good marriage with Pedro and will continue to be a good marriage. He and I saw eye-to-eye. I thought we worked really well together and will continue to work together."San Diego Padres Gear .com) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to halt their longest losing streak of the season when they host the struggling New York Islanders in tonights clash at the Bell Centre. Stitched Padres Jerseys . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. https://www.cheappadresjerseys.us/ . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. San Diego Padres Store . Aduriz headed home Markel Susaetas cross in the sixth minute to open the scoring at San Mames Stadium. He bettered that with a long-range blast that went in off the goal frame in the 18th, and converted a penalty in the 72nd after Diego Mainz was sent off for fouling Aduriz with only the goalkeeper to beat. Custom San Diego Padres Jerseys . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals.Brisbane Roar is set for a shock full-time return to Ballymore with the A-League club poised to move their headquarters back to the rugby union-controlled stadium.Hours after confirming they will stage their first-ever home FFA Cup tie at Ballymore, AAP has learned the Roar will also shift their administrative and training base back to the Herston home of the Queensland Rugby Union in time for the new season.It comes less than 12 months after the QRU attempted to wind up the Roar due to months of unpaid rent at the venue, forcing coach John Aloisi into a mad scramble to find a training facility on his first day in the job.However, acting CEO and incoming owner Daniel Cobb is believed to have recently smoothed over relations with the QRU, to the point where Brisbane are now ready to move back in.The Roar will host Perth Glory in their FFA Cup round of 32 clash at Ballymore and are hopeful of a big crowd after the match was set down for August 10, Brisbanes annual Ekka public holiday.The club intends to hold a family day and use the occasion to launch their membership program.Ballymore has long been favoured as a football venue by Roar supporters becauuse of its smaller, more intimate nature in comparison to the cavernous Suncorp Stadium, but only pre-season matches have been held there during the A-League era.ddddddddddddThe deal is a remarkable turnaround given the extent of the animosity between the two organisations.It peaked when now-departed QRU chief Jim Carmichael slammed the Bakrie Group for their conduct as Roar owners, and suggested Football Federation Australia should change their A-League ownership model.Carmichael is now gone, while Cobb is the head of a consortium that has agreed to purchase the Roar from the Bakries in a deal subject to approval and due diligence from FFA.The QRU are battling their own financial issues, having posted a loss of $1.483 million for 2015, and are understood to be open to leasing Ballymore out to more sporting bodies.However, its believed plans for the Roar to eventually move into a proposed new training and administrative facility in Logan - as part of an agreement brokered by former Roar CEO David Pourre - have not changed. ' ' '